The proposed changes to…

The proposed changes to Ontario's Endangered Species Act would do nothing more than legitimize Ontario's already dismal track record of failing to protect endangered species. Ontario needs stronger endangered species legislation, not an act that would essentially get rid of any protection altogether. The proposed changes are clearly based on the demands of industry, not biology. Protecting only a limited area like a den is nonsensical; an animal cannot use a den, however protected it may be, if there is no habitat surrounding that den. Ontario's species at risk continue to decline under the current legislation, and the proposed changes would only hasten their demise.
The proposed changes are an insult to every resident of Ontario who cares about species protections. They are also incredibly short-sighted, as protecting umbrella species like species at risk helps to preserve entire ecosystems, and their functions to provide us with clean air and water.
These changes are nothing more than a green light to developers to destroy our province, and are a shameful reflection of the provincial government's priorities. We need stronger protection for species at risk, and this is the opposite.